Scenes from Elevator Rescue Drills at SIUE’s Lovejoy Library
For the third consecutive summer, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville hosted members of the Madison County Technical Rescue Team and their life-saving training exercises. On Wednesday, June 18 and Thursday, June 19, the team, composed of firefighters from departments across the County, performed a rope rescue training exercise in the elevators of Lovejoy Library. This indoor training simulated rescuing a trapped individual from a confined space using ropes to lower a rescuer into the elevator shaft.
“We are so lucky to have these brave volunteers from the Madison County Technical Rescue Team utilize our campus to train,” said Paul Lega, manager of SIUE’s Environmental Health and Safety Department. “This isn’t something this team does as part of their job duties at work. This is in their free time; they choose to run into a collapsed building or a fallen elevator. They put their lives on the line even when they are not paid to do so.”
Lega added, “We are extremely grateful for the continued support and collaboration with the staff at the Lovejoy Library. Without their support we may not be able to support the Technical Rescue Team in their efforts to support us at SUIE.”
Photos by Howard Ash
